Musical Talents
by journeyman07
Summary: Ronon/Keller. Written for sg onesweetlove lj fic challenge using prompt 'music'. Best read after 'Christmas', but stands alone well enough. Enjoy.


Rodney Mckay looked up from his laptop and made a deliberate show of frowning heavily. Pointedly ignoring his erstwhile visitors, he then resolutely returned to his work.

'McKay,' Ronon's deep tones rumbled casually in greeting as he strolled into the lab.

'I know what you want,' came the terse reply, as Rodney focused determinedly on his screen.

'And what's that?' Ronon swung the three-year old down from his shoulders in one fluid movement and set his daughter on the bench next to the hunched up scientist.

Rodney McKay regarded Aryssa Keller-Dex with the best imitation of exasperation he could muster. Yet already the little girl's green eyes and clear gaze was causing his resolve to soften and any real irritation to dissolve.

'I take it the concept of using the city's daycare facility is beyond you and Jennifer?' he muttered at the Satedan, 'especially since it was set up due to certain members of this team adopting procreation as an ongoing habit!'

He was of course referring not just to Teyla and Kanaan's son, but also the much more recent addition of another baby boy, this time as a result of Teyla and Sheppard's long overdue union.

Ronon raised an eyebrow at his teammate, the ghost of a knowing smile playing around his lips. This widened into a full grin as Aryssa held out her arms to her father for one last hug. Rodney was struck yet again with how similar Ronon and his daughter were: same green eyes, same dark wavy hair and although she was only three, the same kind of charismatic presence that everyone noticed when they entered a room.

Ronon touched his forehead to Aryssa's gently and tweaked his daughter's nose. She yelped slightly and giggled at him, reaching out for her father's beard and tugging it in return. Rodney tried not to smile at this exchange, thinking how utterly un-Ronon-like many would still consider this display of affection.

'She prefers it here with you,' Ronon offered at last, by way of an explanation, gently disentangling himself from Aryssa's insistent hands.

'Hmmm,' Rodney huffed, trying to ignore the little girl's playful look that twinkled happily at him and the stubby legs that swung happily back and forth underneath the lab bench.

'Thanks, Rodney,' Ronon confirmed, 'I'll be back in a few hours, it's just a routine trading mission and Jen's on a double shift as one of her staff has gone back to Earth.'

'When did I say this was OK?' the other man said plaintively, shaking his head in an attempt at disbelief, hands spread.

'The day you were first in the room when she was born, remember?' Ronon shot back wryly. He knew full well that Rodney McKay was secretly besotted with his and Jennifer's precious daughter and had been since that very day. Rodney tried hard to maintain his dignity through the somewhat cantankerous and irritable façade, but both Ronon and Jennifer knew that Aryssa had Uncle Rodney completely wrapped around her little (but strong half-Satedan) finger.

'And when did Jennifer tell herself it was OK to work double shifts right now?' Rodney replayed Ronon's comment with concern.

The Satedan frowned at that comment, knowing McKay was only saying aloud what they all thought. Jennifer Keller-Dex was seven months pregnant with their next child and, as it was with Aryssa, seemed to have no intention of slowing her work rate until absolutely necessary.

'Have _you_ tried telling Jen what to do when it comes to the infirmary?' Ronon shrugged ruefully, 'don't think I haven't pointed this out to her…many times.'

'What have you pointed out?' as if on cue Atlantis' CMO appeared in the doorway, her eyes narrowed good-humouredly at her husband. Jennifer's face then lit up as Aryssa then opened her arms for her mother and giggled again. Rodney was reminded that much as Aryssa shared her obvious looks with Ronon, there was something about the toddler's openness and sunny nature that was very Jennifer.

'Hello, sweet pea,' Jennifer cooed to her daughter, stroking her dark hair lovingly, 'what's Uncle Rodney got in store for you today then?'

Ronon draped an arm round his wife's expanding waistline and dropped a kiss on her forehead. A look of deep affection passed between them and for a moment, Rodney McKay was envious of the love they shared. Over the past three years he'd come to realise that Ronon and Jennifer weren't so many worlds apart after all. Both were stubborn, fiercely loyal and protective of those they loved. He liked and respected them both immensely, but kept that strictly to himself of course.

'I was pointing out that you should be working less, Jen,' Ronon told her firmly, waiting for the inevitable reply.

'I'm fine, Ronon, and the pregnancy's going fine,' Jennifer rubbed her belly absently as she said this, 'and someone has to get stuff done over there,'

'See?' Ronon rolled his eyes to McKay, while squeezing her gently.

'I do see, hmmm,' the scientist, 'well, I guess you're the doctor…'

'I am,' Jennifer interrupted and Ronon chuckled at this characteristic quiet display of her mettle.

'But he's your husband and I'm your…' Rodney grasped uncomfortably for the word.

'Friend?' Jennifer offered, smiling with amusement.

'Yes,' Rodney agreed awkwardly, 'your friend, and we say that very soon you should be doing less,'

'I will, I promise,' she said to them both, 'Doctor Rishton is back from Earth in two days, so I can do less hours from then…now, Rodney, what amazing skills will you be teaching Aryssa today?'

'Music, the music,' the little girl interrupted them all, her hands waving at Rodney.

'Music?' Ronon asked puzzled.

'Ah yes, well, you see…' McKay began, 'last time you two decided to avail yourselves of my generous often last-minute requested baby-sitting services, I showed Aryssa the piano in one of the rooms near the mess hall,'

'Piano, what's that?' was Ronon's next question.

'It's a musical instrument. You make sounds by depressing keys that in turn hit wires…' seeing Ronon's continued confused look he stopped, 'never mind, anyway, the thing is….'

'Is that the piano that Dr Weir brought here?' Jennifer asked, remembering the old grand piano that was occasionally dragged out for festive occasions in the city. She'd forgotten that Rodney could play and smiled at the thought.

'Yes, yes, look, ' Rodney was clearly excited about something, 'the thing is, Aryssa learned two tunes note perfect the last time I took her there, I mean, they were simple tunes, but she's only three!'

He remembered the pleasant afternoon he'd spent playing the piano with the little girl. Aryssa had sat in his lap and carefully watched his fingers trace the notes, giggling at the sounds they made and then, falteringly at first, repeated the pattern herself.

'Really?' Ronon looked at his daughter in surprise and chucked her under the chin.

"Yes, really,' Rodney replied, 'do either of you…you know…have any hidden musical talents that she might get it from?'

He was looking mainly at Jennifer when he said this, who looked blank and shook her head straight away.

'I was too busy with studying to think of anything else!' she exclaimed, 'Ronon?'

McKay regarded the Satedan skeptically, waiting for Ronon to confirm the same, although Rodney suspected guns and knives probably were the main distraction in this man's childhood, not academic study.

Ronon didn't reply initially - his thoughts elsewhere.

'We do have that guitar looking thing in our quarters?' Jennifer recalled then, looking up at her husband. It was something of Ronon's that he'd managed to salvage from the last ill-fated visit to his home planet.

'Hmmm,' Ronon murmured, 'yes, it's a called a _farenta_, like your guitar, I can play it…or I used to be able to.'

'Really?' it was Jennifer's turn to look surprised. She'd never given the instrument much thought. It had sat undisturbed in a corner of their quarters all this time – she'd assumed it was an heirloom or a decorative piece of some kind. It seemed that she didn't know everything about Ronon's life before the Wraith came after all, even if she did know more than most.

'Yeah,' the Satedan shifted, obviously feeling awkward at this admission.

They both looked at him expectantly.

'Well…were you any good?' Rodney prompted in the end.

Ronon thought about his answer, 'Yeah, I was,' he said simply, a shade passing briefly over his face in remembrance of things past and long gone. Jennifer touched his arm softly, immediately knowing that this had caused old memories to surface.

'Well, Aryssa sure seems to have inherited that skill, Ronon,' McKay said excitedly, having one of his moments of seeing the Satedan in a new light…yet again.

'Hmmm,' Ronon said softly, 'then teach her, Rodney, teach her as much as she wants to know.'

'Well, you could as well, you know…' his teammate suggested carefully, 'you could teach her the…what was it called again?'

'_Farenta_,' came Ronon's low reply, as he gazed at Aryssa, who had slid down her mother's legs and was now hugging on to one of his leather clad ones. He ruffled her hair and the little girl grinned up at him.

'Yeah, the _farenta_, especially if you used to play…?' Rodney suggested quietly.

Three years had changed Rodney and Ronon's relationship from irritation based on misunderstanding to a friendship built on mutual respect for each other's strengths. McKay knew he could never have said anything like this to Ronon before Aryssa's arrival.

'Shall I teach you music?' Ronon scooped his daughter up to see her reaction to this question.

Aryssa nodded enthusiastically. Rodney noted, as he had many times before, that Ronon and he were the only adults who didn't employ what he termed 'baby talk' with the toddler…and she _did_ seem to understand what her father said perfectly well.

'OK, later,' Ronon cupped Aryssa's face gently, 'today Rodney will teach you,'

The toddler agreed with a hug, wriggled out of Ronon's arms and marched over to Rodney holding her arms out.

'Ooh, she's your daughter alright,' Jennifer chuckled at her husband, who also looked amused.

'And yours,' he added, taking her hand and caressing her slim fingers. Jennifer felt a familiar shiver of excitement at Ronon's touch and smiled at him.

'OK, parents,' Rodney McKay lifted Aryssa up into his arms and started for the door, 'have an excellent time protecting and curing the galaxy, we're off to play, ciao!'

And with that Atlantis' chief scientist (and preferred baby-sitter) went striding off down the hall, whistling merrily as the three year old on his shoulders gurgled along happily in accompaniment.

**End**

(Gotta write 'End' otherwise it'll end up being another mammoth fic! You know what I'm like! And my beta's had enough to do lately!)

**A/N:** This fic was inspired by these comments from **Gilari** in her review for 'Epilogue to Christmas': '… and from that moment on, Aryssa had every single man on Atlantis wrapped around her little finger. Including Uncle Rodney.' Thanks to her for the idea and of course to my awesome beta **renisanz** for her inspirational advice.


End file.
